FEMA Explains Why Ohio Was Denied Disaster Aid

Administrator: Denial of Disaster Declaration Is Tough

UPDATED 3:30 AM EDT Mar 12, 2012

CINCINNATI -

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is fielding a lot of questions about why Ohio got a rejection for federal help.

"People often say, 'My home was destroyed. I didn't have insurance. People across the river are getting help. Why can't I get help?'" said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "I understand if you lost your home, you lost family members, if you've lost possessions, whether or not we declare it, doesn't take away that it's a disaster."

Fugate said the denial of a disaster declaration is tough, especially when only two of the three states hit, like Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, get a thumb's up from the federal government.

"We look at the total amount of impact versus the state. How much of what was insured? What other programs are available? It doesn?t talk about loss of life of homes destroyed. It refers to the impact to the state," Fugate said.

Less than 24 hours after the tornadoes hit, Ohio Gov. John Kasich initially said that additional assistance was not necessary yet.

"We believe that we can handle this," Kasich said. "We don?t think (that) right now, we need a national declaration. We have a governor's declaration."

Kasich said he wanted to wait until the damage assessment was complete.

"Nothing the governor would have said would have predetermined anything other than what he sent up in the request -- the total amount of unmet needs, the total families that had been impacted," Fugate said.

Fugate said the governor has the option of appealing the decision, but Clermont County officials told The Cincinnati Enquirer they are following advice from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency not to appeal because an appeal would delay other possible federal aid.

Authorities said other federal programs are still available, like the Small Business Administration Disaster loans and Housing and Urban Development dollars.

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